Skid chain applier



Sept. 9, 1941. J. R. MACHAIN 2,255,178

SKID CHAIN APPLIER iled March 18, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l I uz'enlur A Home P 9, 1941- J. R. MACHAIN 2,255,178

SKID CHAIN APPLIER Filed March 18, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 9, 1941. J. R. MACHAIN SKID CHAIN APPLIER Filed March 18, 1941 3 Shee ts-Sheet Im'en/or Patented Sept. 9, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in skid chain appliers for motor vehicles and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, novel means under the control of the driver whereby a plurality of independent cross chains or sections may be expeditiously applied upon forward movement of the vehicle.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a skid chain applying means of the aforementioned character embodying a novel construction and arrangement wherein the chains are retained in position at all times on the vehicle ready to be applied.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a skid chain applying means of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly eflicient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of thefollowing specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference v designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention, the lower portion of the outer housing Y section being broken away in vertical section.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view through a portion of the vehicle wheel and fender, showing the device .of my invention in front elevation.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical longitudinal section through the housing unit.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line l4 of Figure 1, with the operating means:

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral I designates a rear wheel of a motor vehicle, said wheel including a rim 2 having mounted thereon a pneumatic tire 3. A rear fender of the motor vehicle is indicated at 4.

The embodiment of the present invention of rods 5 which are mounted transversely in the wheel I at circumferentiall spaced points immediately adjacent the rim 2. Mounted on the end portions of the rods 5 are snap hooks 6.

Mounted. on a rear axle housing I of the vehicle adjacent the wheel I is an angular bracket 8 the upper portion of which extends horizontal- 1y over the tire 3. Rising from the upper end which has been illustrated comprises a plurality 55 portion of. the bracket 8 is a vertically slotted guide 9 the purpose of which will be presently set forth. Also rising from the horizontally extendim;v upper portion of the bracket 8 is a post It). Joumaled on the post It], is a shaft II having fixed thereon an arm I2. Connected to the shaft II is a flexible shaft I3 which extends to a point adjacent the driver's seat of the vehicle and which-is provided with an operating handle I4.

The reference numeral I5 designates generally a housing of suitable metal which is adapted to straddle the tire 3 closely adjacent the tread and side walls thereof and which conforms substantially to the cross sectional shape of said tire. Toward this end, the housing I5 includes a pair of complemental sections I6 which are pivotally connected by a loose hinge connection II. As best seen in Figurefi of the drawings, this hinge connection II includes a link l6 which is pivotally connected to one of the housing sections I6. The link I8 is connected to the other section I6 by a pin and slot connection I9.

Links 20 have one end pivotally connected to the forward end portions of the housingsections I6 on opposite sides of the hinge connection II. The other ends of the links 20 are coupled to the arm I2 by a pin and slot connection 2I. The pin of the connection '2I is operable vertically in the'slot of the guide 9.

The rear end of the housing I5 is supported in suspended position relative to the vehicle tire 3 by means including a substantially U-shaped spring 22 having its end portions secured'to the sections I 6. A flexible element 23 suspends the spring 22 from a suitable bracket 24 beneath the vehicle fender 4.

-The housing I5 is closed at its rear end but open at its front end for the reception of a plurality of skid chains 25. The length of the chains 25 is greater than the distance between the bottoms 26 of the sections I6 through the housing I5. Thus, when the chains 25 are stored in the housing I5 the end links 21 of said chains are raised, inwhich position they are supported by the bottoms 26 of the sections I6. The bottoms 26 terminate short of the forward ends of drawings.

Operable in the housing I is a follower 28 for feeding the chains 25 toward the forward end of said housing. Referring to Figure 4 of the drawings, it will be observed that the follower 28 includes duplicate sections 28 which are pivotally connected at 30. One of the sections 2! is mounted in each of the housing sections it. Coil springs II in the rear portion of the housing 15 yieldingly urge the follower 28 forwardly in saidhousing.

Resilient stops 32 are provided on the forward end of the housing i5 for preventing the follower 28 from ejecting the chains 25 from said housing. Spacing elements 28 (see Figure 3) are provided in the upper portions of the housing sections 15 for maintaining the chains 25 in proper position. Of course, the spacing elements 33 are slidable longitudinally in the housing sections it with the chains 25. When in lowered position, the forward end of the housing I5 is suspended from the bracket 8 by a flexible element 34 which is connected to said housing at the hinge connection I! between the sections it.

In operation, the forward end of the housing I5 is supported in raised, open position above the tire I by the'arm l2 through the medium of the links 20. With'the housing i5 in this position the depending end links 21 of the forwardmost chain 25 are out of the path of the hooks 6. When it is desired to apply the chains 25 to the tire 3, the forward end of the housing I5 is lowered by swinging the arm l2 downwardly through the medium of the handle I, the flexible shaft l3 and the shaft H. When the housing i5 is thus lowered the load thereof is transferred to the flexible element or cable 34 and the sections it are swung to closed position adjacent the tire 8 by gravity with the assistance of the spring 22. In thismanner the depending end links 21 of the forwardmost chain 25 are brought into the path of a pair of the hooks 6 by which they are engaged as a vehicle wheel I rolls in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1 of the drawings. Thus, the forwardmost chain 25 is pulled out of the open forward end of the housing l5 and said chain is in operative position on the tire 3. The rethe housing sections II, as seen in Figure 1 of the This is indicated in dotted lines in Figure2 of the drawings.

The spacer elements 33, arranged in the respective housing sections it, are relatively short in comparison with the chains 25, and pass with the chains outwardly of the housing to fall to the ground; the spacing elements in no wise interfering with the operation of the device'in the placing of the cross-chains in proper position on the pneumatic tire casing.

It is believed that the many advantages of a skid chain applier constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment of the apparatus is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. Means for applying skid chains to a tire on a vehicle wheel, comprising a housing, for the reception of a plurality of chains, for suspension above the tire, said housing including a I pair of hingedly connected sections for straddling the tire, a spring actuated follower in the housing, for feeding the chains toward the front end thereof, and hooks on the wheel engageable with the end portions of the forwardmost chains for successively pulling said chains from the housing and securing said chains in position across the tire.

2. Means for applying skid chains to a tire on a vehicle wheel, comprising a bracket mounted on a vehicle adjacent the wheel thereof, a manually operable arm mounted for vertical swinging movement on said bracket, a housing suspended from the arm for raising and lowering thereby above the tire, said housing for the reception of a plurality of chains and including a pair of hingedly connected sections adapted to straddle the tire, a spring actuated follower maining chains 25 are immediately movedforwardly in the housing l5 by the spring pressed follower 28 and the end links 21 of the forwardmost of these chains drop into the path of the next pair of hooks 5 by which they are engaged. This operation is repeated until all of the chains 25 are in position on the tire 3. The end links 2101' the chains 25 have formed thereon wings or the like 35 which are engageable with each other for preventing said end links from turning or twisting in the housing l5. The arm I2 is then swung upwardly to raise the housing l5 and open the sections l5 thereof.

in the housing for feeding the chains toward the front end thereof, and means for connecting the chains to the vehicle wheel across the tire.

3. Means for applying skid chains to a tire on a vehicle wheel, comprising a bracket mounted on a vehicle adjacent a wheel thereof, a manually operable arr'n mounted for vertical swinging movement on said bracket, a housing sus-' pended from the arm for raising and lowering thereby above the tire, said housing for the reception of a plurality of chains and including a pair of hingedly connected sections adapted to straddle the tire, a spring actuated follower in the housing for feeding the chains toward the front end thereof, and means for connecting the chains to the vehicle wheel across the tire, said means including a plurality of rods mounted transversely in the wheel at circumferential points, and hooks on said rods engageable with the end links of the forwardmost chains.

JOHN R. MACHAIN. 

